Bibi Dong tightly gripped her scepter, unaware that fine beads of sweat had formed in her palm. It had been a long time since she last felt this kind of anxiety. Now that it had suddenly resurfaced, she found herself somewhat at a loss.
Suddenly, Lu Leng's furrowed brows relaxed, and a look of relief spread across his face.
"It's a success," Bibi Dong and Chrysanthemum Douluo both let out a sigh of relief.
"Ahhhhhhh"
But just as the situation seemed to have settled, Lu Leng's relaxed expression abruptly twisted into one of intense pain, and he let out a scream even more agonizing than before.
Bibi Dong was startled, unsure of what was happening. She was about to step forward when she saw Lu Leng's body lift off the ground, floating in mid-air. His entire body arched backward, and two fist-sized protrusions appeared on his back.
"What's going on?!" Chrysanthemum Douluo was shocked by Lu Leng's bizarre appearance, completely baffled by what was happening.
However, the experienced Bibi Dong suddenly calmed down, her eyes instead gleaming with fervor.
"Stay alert and protect him!" Bibi Dong issued the command. Though Chrysanthemum Douluo didn't understand the reason, he immediately complied.
Meanwhile, Lu Leng's agony continued. The two protrusions on his back grew larger and sharper, as if something was about to burst out of his body!
Bibi Dong's beautiful eyes were fixed intently on him. Suddenly, flesh and blood tore apart, and two sharp bone spikes erupted from Lu Leng's back.
"Ahhhhhhhhhh"
Lu Leng let out another scream, a cry so piercing that it struck deep into the hearts of both Bibi Dong and Chrysanthemum Douluo.
The bone spikes didn't stop after emerging; they continued to grow, and within less than a minute, they had formed a pair of massive bone wings.
The wings were drenched in blood, with fragments of flesh clinging to them.
Lu Leng was enveloped by the wings, and then, the flesh on the wings began to regenerate at a visible speed.
Once the wings were fully covered in flesh, black feathers began to grow, their deep hue eventually tinged with faint purple streaks of light.
At this point, Lu Leng finally opened his eyes.
As he did, a flash of purple lightning seemed to pass through his gaze, sharp and piercing like a blade. Combined with his cold and arrogant demeanor, he exuded the aura of a thunderous, unstoppable force.
"How do you feel?" Bibi Dong asked.
"Refreshed and invigorated!" Lu Leng replied, then turned his attention to the massive black wings on his back.
"What is this?"
"This is an External Soul Bone!" Bibi Dong's eyes were filled with astonishment. "I've told you about the power of External Soul Bones—they are something every soul master dreams of, second only to a hundred-thousand-year soul ring. I never expected you to be so lucky, obtaining one so quickly."
At this moment, Chrysanthemum Douluo also approached, his eyes filled with envy as he stared at the wings. "Not only is it an External Soul Bone, but it's also a rare wing-type soul bone. The one-in-ten-thousand chance has actually fallen to you. With these wings, even if you can't win a fight, no one will be able to catch you."
Flight had always been the most coveted skill among soul masters on the Douluo Continent.
Lu Leng had already suspected as much, but he hadn't dared to confirm it until he heard Bibi Dong's words. Now, his heart stirred.
An External Soul Bone, with a one-in-ten-thousand chance!
He had actually encountered it!
But then again, it wasn't entirely surprising. After all, Tang San had obtained a soul bone from a thousand-year soul beast, while he had only gotten one from a ten-thousand-year soul beast. If anything, he was the unlucky one, wasn't he?
Soul Rings grant Soul Masters soul skills, and while they also enhance the Soul Master's attributes to some extent, their primary function lies in the soul skills they provide.
Soul Bones, on the other hand, not only offer soul skills but also significantly enhance the Soul Master's own attributes. Moreover, Soul Bones possess the ability to grow and evolve alongside the Soul Master's increasing strength! It can be said that Soul Bones are the most coveted items for any Soul Master. "Feel it, what has this external Soul Bone brought to you?"
Upon hearing this, Lu Leng's wings fluttered as he soared through the air.
This sight once again filled Bibi Dong and Chrysanthemum Douluo with envy.
After a moment, Lu Leng descended, and with a thought, retracted his wings.
"How was it?" Bibi Dong asked.
"It feels great. My overall attributes have improved significantly, with the most noticeable enhancement being in speed. Even without using the external Soul Bone, my speed surpasses that of an average Soul Master. At the very least, a Soul King wouldn't be able to catch up to me!"
"Another benefit is the addition of a new soul skill, Thunderous Might! By channeling the power of lightning through my wings, I can unleash a powerful thunder strike on my enemies. Its effectiveness is amplified during thunderstorms due to environmental factors."
After listening to Lu Leng's words, Bibi Dong looked astonished. "The ability to harness the power of lightning is an extremely rare soul skill. As you know, lightning is one of the most formidable forces in nature, and it's not something just anyone can control."
Lu Leng understood.
"What do you plan to name this external Soul Bone?" Bibi Dong asked again.
"I'll call it Thunderous Wings!"
Bibi Dong nodded, approving of Lu Leng's naming skills. "What is your second soul skill?"
"'Swallow's Flash!' At this, Lu Leng's eyes gleamed with excitement, clearly pleased with this soul skill. "It's an attack composed of two parts. The first part involves charging at the enemy with lightning speed to deliver a fatal blow. If the enemy manages to dodge this, the second part follows instantly, launching a silent attack from behind with even greater speed!'"
"It's just like the move Thunder Swallow used earlier—feinting to the east while striking to the west, catching the enemy off guard for a sure kill!"
Lu Leng couldn't help but glance at Chrysanthemum Douluo. Even a titled Douluo could be caught off guard by this move, which speaks volumes about its effectiveness! "Not bad," Bibi Dong also nodded. "This soul skill is highly effective for ambushes and has great killing potential against enemies encountered for the first time. However, powerful opponents can easily counter it the second time around."
But with Lu Leng's current speed, combined with the Thunderous Wings when activating the second soul skill, even an average Soul Douluo might not be able to react in time.
...
Time flew by, and another two months passed. Autumn was just around the corner, and Lu Leng's soul power had now reached level 23.
During these days, Bibi Dong had important matters to attend to and rarely visited the training grounds. After autumn, Lu Leng would be entering the Spirit Academy to continue his studies.
After all, Bibi Dong's energy was limited. While she could teach Lu Leng combat knowledge, she couldn't cover everything. Many fundamental aspects still needed to be taught by the academy.
Over those two months, Lu Leng had mastered the Thunderous Wings and was using them with ease.
The only downside was that it was quite hard on his clothes—every time the wings emerged, they would ruin a piece of clothing.
"Huh, what are those three up to?" Lu Leng, bored out of his mind, was sitting on the rooftop when he unexpectedly saw Hu Liena and the other two heading out of Spirit City.
"Since I've got nothing better to do, I might as well tag along. I'm practically going stir-crazy being cooped up in the Spirit Hall." Lu Leng had been under strict surveillance by Bibi Dong, who rarely allowed him to step foot outside the Spirit Hall.